Finally Finished Radiation

That pillow mat sounds good cos I turn my pillow over a few times a night if I get hot.

                                   Tonya xx

Hello,

I have not had these yet, but after a really hot summer last year, I bought a cooling gel mat and pillow thingy that you put under your sheets/in your pillow slip that say they help with heat and hot flushes.  I have not tried the full length one yet but the pillow one is really cool.  I bought them online from "Innovations" a mail order catalogue place.  I think if you just look this up on the internet you will probably find it in their catalogue.

Julia

Hi Helen,

Radiation is certianly a breeze compare to chemo and like you I have not had much reaction before. Those hot flushes are terrible. I keep waking during the night also. I asked my oncologist about them and she said if they get really they suggest going on anti-depressants which I am not too mad about taking. You will have to let me if Remifem works. I also have TNBC and am allowed to take natural supplements. I am waiting till the end of my radiation to try them. I just want to know if this is the beginning of menopause for me or will I go back to normal.

Good luck with it all and let me know if anything works

Renata xox

Hi Helen,

Aren't they the pits? I've struggled with them on and off for the last 5 years. i have tried Remifemin and initially had some success. It took a full 2 months to kick in and it was great for about 8 months, then ceased working. I even doubled the dose and it barely made a difference. i also tried Promensil and that didn't touch them. At my worst I was having major flushes every 7 to 10 minutes. I finally got to the point when HRT seemed like a good idea. I was 52, had 4 kids early, breast fed them all, and had no family history of breast cancer, so following a clear mammogram decided to give it a go. I had 3 wonderful months. I then became concerned about an existing thickening in my breast. I went and had an ultrasound, and another mammogram, but wasn't very worried, especially since thickened area was just normal fibrous tissue. A small 4mm cyst was found. This turned out ot be cancer.  So, no more HRT. I"ve since had a lumpectomy and a mastectomy (cancer actually 21mm long and grade 3) and chemo. I'm now on Tamoxifen, and the hot flushes are back again, but probably not quite as intense as before, but they still drive me crazy.

Give the remifemin ago, as you might get some good relief. A lot of women do.  Give it at least 2 full months, and good luck with it.

Chris xx

Welcome to hot flush land.I thought I was just about over them but then Tamoxifen cranked them up to a whole  new level.I tried Remifemin for about 4mths -it did nothing.I now take a very low dose antidepressant(endep 10mg)  It helps with hot flushes and sleeping at night.I still get the odd one through the day so it's not 100%effective.It doesn't give me side effects.Obviously,your doc has to check anything you take incase it interferes with any meds you are on.Invest in alot of those hand fans.I have one in my handbag and all over the house.I also keep ice blocks in the freezer at all times.It can really become debilitating can't it,not to mention chronically tired.

                                           Tonya xx